Port Elizabeth and East London Conference Guide | Conference Venues in Port Elizabeth, East London

The city of Port Elizabeth is the home ground of South African auto manufacturing companies such a Ford, Daimler-Chrysler, Toyota, Volkswagen, General Motors and Delta Motor Corp, so the port itself boasts a large open area car terminal.

It also means that if you want to deal with the auto industry - this is the city to do it in. Likewise if you are in the fruit export business.

As an export terminal for agriculture and farming industries, principally deciduous and citrus fruit and wool, Port Elizabeth serves the local industrial base and is the alternate container terminal when Durban or Cape Town container terminals are over-loaded.

Nominated for a Business Travel Award 2010 by the prestigious international publication Business Destinations, The East London International Convention Centre was also a finalist in the HICA 2010, ‘Best new non-hotel tourism investment’ category.

Like Port Elizabeth, East London - or Buffalo City - as it is also known, is home to South Africa's motor industry. The second largest manufacturing sector in the Eastern Cape is the textiles, clothing and leather industry.

The industries are well serviced by the more than 5 000 farmers making a living out of wool farming in the province. In fact, the Eastern Cape is the centre of South Africa's mohair industry and is the country's second largest wool producer.

All told, East London is responsible for 29% of South Africa's manufacturing output - which is why it is now also home to the largest conference centre on the Garden Route.

The attraction of the smaller towns such as Plettenberg Bay, Knysna or George is that they lend an ambience of country serenity ideal for a corporate "workshop" experience.

You can be really creative corporate with team-building events or themed conferences.

The airport at George, makes Knysna and Wilderness conveniently accessible for business travellers.